Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Michigan Legalizes Medical Marijuana

It should help the economy.

For the first time ever, the state Department of Community Health is working out a process to permit some seriously ill people and their caregivers to possess and grow marijuana. The move is required by the medical marijuana initiative that Michigan voters approved last month.

The law, which won a majority of voters in every county of the state, takes effect on Thursday. The state has until April 4 to establish the rules for the program. The Department of Community Health will issue draft rules this month, and a public hearing is expected in January.

Both the Department of Community Health and the newly formed nonprofit Michigan Medical Marijuana Association are planning education drives to help smooth the transition into state licensing of medicinal marijuana users.

In California medical marijuana is estimated to be a 100 million to 2 billion dollar industry. That number is for the legal marijuana that gets taxed. Imagine if California got just sales tax on the estimated 22 billion dollar illegal sales.